India has undoubtedly made a mark at the Olympics, taking home eight gold, one silver, and three bronze medals over the years. However, the country’s track record when it comes to winning in the World Cup hasn’t been nearly as impressive. Despite having participated in every iteration of this international tournament since its inauguration in 1930, India has just one win – way back in 1983. Since then, success has eluded them and comes with an added burden of hope as fans across the world eagerly look forward to seeing India restore past glories. Unfortunately, this has yet to be seen.
India put together a strong performance in the 1973 Prudential Cup, the sixth edition of the historic Cricket World Cup. Though they fell just short of their first-ever title, a hard-fought match against formidable opponent Pakistan earned them a second-place finish that earned kudos from fans throughout the world. Two years later, India would prove to be unstoppable and triumphed over mighty Pakistan for an amazing World Cup win. The 1975 Prudential Cup final was an unforgettable game — full of surprises and resounding Indian pride as they emerged victoriously from their rival’s shadows to make history. India’s success did not only solidify their status as one of the world’s top cricket teams but also celebrated them as true champions in sportsmanship, merit and power.
The inaugural Hockey World Cup in 1971 held great promise for the Indian team. Although the team eventually finished third after beating Kenya in the bronze medal match, it seemed to set a new standard of performance by India at the World Cup. Following this accomplishment, India put forth commendable efforts in the following three editions as well; they managed their best finish at fifth place during both 1982 and 1994. Despite failing to reach these heights since, India continues to strive for an improved ranking; proof of which can be seen in their 10th-place finish in 2018 and 11th position just one year later. With more dedicated training and higher levels of planning, perhaps we will see India among the top three soon enough.
